This Samsung recyclable printer is made out of origami cardboard

Beth Buczynski EarthTechling.com, 20th August 2013

Life would be so much easier if everything could go in the recycling bin. No more sorting, saving, or hauling, just toss it all in the single-stream bin, and rest assured that it would be used again. We’re not there yet, but more companies are finally getting the message about recyclability.

Samsung recently unveiled a origami-inspired printer casing design made entirely from cardboard. The lie-flat design can be quickly folded into working shape–as strong as plastic and easier to recycle according to the designers.

Image via Samsung

Made from a single piece of recycled, highly durable cardboard, the Origami printerconcept goes from flat to 3D in a few quick steps. Although the entire casing is plastic-free, there are typical plastic and electronic components inside. So, while you could throw the casing in the trash, you’d still have to find a proper recycling facility for the guts. Still, less plastic is always a good thing.

According to Wired, the concept for the printer came from principal designer, Seungwook Jeon, who took inspiration from the convenient foldable boxes that you see at a donut shop. The Origami concept was just one of three Samsung printers recently recognized at the 2013 International Design Excellence Awards.

“In addition to the Origami, a printer called the Clip eschews screws in its construction, using clips instead to lock the Polyethylene plastic pieces (commonly used in kitchen containers) together,” reports Digital Trends. “A third concept, the Mate, is a customizable printer with colored panels that can be swapped out.”

“It is not easy to apply a cover to a product’s engine unit,” explained Juehyun Jung, a senior designer at Samsung, to Wired. “In addition to requiring knowledge about the part assembly sequence, there is the inconvenience of fastening a great number of screws.” All three printer concepts—the Clip, Origami and Mate—aim to simplify the manufacturing process and reduce customer cost with their own unique approach.”

Unfortunately, none of the printers are slated for commercial production at this time, although Samsung says there’s no reason why they couldn’t be mass-produced.